A Weapon Light Might Be Wrong for a Defensive Firearm

This topic will always be different the way you look at it

Wait till people realize you can mount the flashlight to your wrist and still get a two handed pistol grip

what gun is that he has?

First, distinguish between a weapon light for home defense vs. CC, because the tactical and legal circumstances are vastly different. Second, consider the extra training, weight, bulk, legal liabilities, and tactical advantages and disadvantages of a WML – and then make your own decision. No right and wrong answer here.

Less is more

I run a light and a laser. Lasers help you aim without having a full sight picture. Easier to shoot around corner LS and easier to shoot from unorthodox positions….

Wow how is this guy ex spec ops? Non of us have or can afford NV we have to have a flashlight.

How are you blinding yourself wherever you look, unless your shining the light into your own face😂😂😂 WTF? I use my weapon mounted light to strobe a super dark room then clear it after everyone in that room is blind.

Having a red dot and a light on your gun is 100% the way to go.. I had a crackhead break into my house recently.. I heard something in my kitchen.. I woke up, grabbed my Walther PDP with a Holosun 508T and a Holosun PID.. I slowly opened my bedroom door and turned on my light pointing it at the floor.. the entire room illuminated.. I quickly saw that it wasn't my kid getting ice-cream at 3am.. of course like anyone would I immediately got frightened and I shined the light directly at the crack head who was trying to slowly creep towards my entertainment center.. My 1000 lumen light blinded the crackhead and he instantly looked away and had to cover his eyes.. I screamed at him to get the fuck out and he ran, tripping over my foot stool and damn near knocking the door off the hinge trying to get out..

My weapons light helped me defend my home that night, and I didn't even have to kill a human being..

So YES.. Weapon lights are 100% practical and 100% useful..

U can create all kinds on scenarios, but real life shit is a person breaking into your house and trying to rob u.. I guess I can understand the "a light will give away your position" argument.. But thats more of a battlefield scenario.. That's more applicable to a situation where someone is coming to try and kill u type deal.. Im not saying it's an unrealistic scenario, but u gotta have some major fucking beef for a person or a group of people trying to come in your house swat team style, to try and kill u..
I realize a lot of u watch action movies and create scenarios in your mind that include serial killers, drug cartels or the ATF infiltrating your homes with full tactical gear, and night vision on, but that's really not a likely situation.. Lets be fucking real about it.. if any of u reading this have a situation occur in your homes where u have to kill someone and defend your family, it's likely gonna be either a crackhead trying to steal from u or some young kid who cased out your house and wants to rob u…
And for all of u who say u should have a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other, that's a terrible fucking idea.. what if u panic and drop your flashlight? And why wouldn't u want both hands on your gun? Sorry dude, 2 hands on your gun will give u a better chance of being accurate.. You're handicapping yourself by using 1 hand on your gun and 1 hand on a light..
I think a lot of things this guy is saying is legitimate if u are in a military type situation where u are searching for someone.. But in a surprise home invasion that u are never going to be prepared for no matter how much "training" u do, a light on your pistol can not only defend your home, but it can also prevent u from possibly having to kill another human being.. I get it, most of u relish the thought of merking some intruder and the law saying you were 100% in the right.. But no matter how much u fantasize about it, taking a life can weigh heavily on u, even if u were 100% justified..

It’s called a flashlight guys

Not the best take… A guy heard a noise in his house and grabbed a gun to defend his wife and kids. He found a stranger trying to climb in through a window. He shot the stranger and killed them. When he turned on the lights, he saw he had shot his daughter who was breaking back in after she snuck out.
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PID is important, especially as a private citizen. In the dark, how do you know the person in your backyard making ruckus near your shed is a thief, a drunk who is lost, a frat boy who was dared to do something stupid or a kid looking for his ball.
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But to each their own.

The whole “dont give away your position” stuff.

So silly. Ever try shooting someone who has a light in their gun aiming at you? Lol its really hard to shoot at a bright light with bullets flying at you.

As a former beat cop working dayshift (before WMLs became mainstream), I ALWAYS carried a primary flashlight (Streamlight SL-20) in my left sap pocket and a secondary (Surefire 6P) on my Sam Browne. It’s difficult to see in a dark room after coming in from the daylight, but it can be offset with a good flashlight. Additionally, a hiding suspect will most likely have his vision adjusted to the dark, which I can negate with the flashlight. Never fight fair: have every tool you can carry at your disposal. 😉

It is wild and not surprising to watch the whole guntube industry go from " You must have crye" to "Don't bother", Garand snidely saying " living in the 80's without a gun light" to people questioning light mounts and 'You must have a XYZ plate carrier" to "you have no need for one" and lastly from combat backpacks, now it is " look like a hiker"

Just eat some dang carrots

I don’t worry about running a light on my pistol for home defense because my house isn’t completely dark, at least downstairs. By doing that no one can see upstairs though my white rings on my staircase. I don’t run my light in my bedroom because it black. I hate any light while sleeping. But if I barricade in your room then my light will come when I start shooting. Then it stays on so I don’t get that blackout. But I run a light on my gun because my left hand is messed up I and trying to use a light, a 90 deg Streamlight, and open doors is impossible. But am able to form a perfect cup to receive my pistol. I don’t even carry a light because I’m rarely out at night. Scary.

3:32 I agree with the blinding and knowing ones house better then intruder but how can you identify they are an intruder without light???? Just ask who is that??? That would definitly give away position I'm confused to light or not light? And lasers??

I think you should have a light on your gun and a pocket light. If you’re going into a place where there could be threats but also non threats that might tell on you for pointing a gun at them, use your pocket light. If I hear a bump in the night and im clearing the house and find my fiancée sneaking ice cream in the dark, she might be mad that I blinded her for 5-6 seconds. However she’s not gonna call the cops and tell them I pointed a gun at her.

I think the biggest thing to consider in this conversation is we’re gun owners. We already have to be very decisive when it comes to everyday life as people that carry guns. Have both sets of lights and use that same decisiveness you use everyday to determine “should I use the weapon light or the pocket light”.

I've watched a lot of videos over on the ASP Channel and I can't remember a single one where a CIVILIAN had time or opportunity to use a weapon mounted light in a defensive shooting. Not one.

ehhhh, everyones a threat until theyre not. end of story.

For me it’s preference..yeah, I know my house inside out, don’t need a light. Outside? The same. In any scenario…practice makes perfect! Nuthin u do gonna help your situation if u r situationally unaware or unprepared! Be damn sure of your target! Light or no light..whether attached to your weapon or in your hand! Lastly is intent, yeah! R they trying to kill u or your family? I see and hear of incidents that people are not sure of and innocent people are killed or injured. It is a strong responsibility determining the justification to shoot, having a light could make it easier but is it the right decision? IJS!

Mike, nothing against you. Understand your target audience. We aren’t worried about giving away our position. In a defensive situation, someone/something is an active threat to you. They know your location. Go ahead and beam the light. It’s gonna blind them. I’m not gonna be blinded because I’m leaving it on as long as I need.

Not everyone needs to quickly bean their light or have a handheld to shine far away from their body to “funnel bullets away from them”.

This isn’t Hollywood. I’ve been chased by someone and simply beamin em with a flashlight was enough to get them to think twice. Was there a gun attached to the light? Or was it just a light? They didn’t wanna find out.

I don’t care if I give away my location. If I’m using a handgun, my location was already given.

Remember… no one is an expert. Always seek knowledge, and weigh the pros and cons. I know he's prior SF, CAG, and special 3 letter agency.
Always learn whats out there and see how it'll work for you. Just because he tells you something it doesnt mean it's the right thing. Take different methods and put it to the test.
I prefer having a weapons light, because I can do my best to accurately shoot with two hands. When the suspect is down, I can keep one hand on my weapon with my WML on the person, and dial 911 with my other hand. Also, if there's multiple people, I would like having two hands on my gun to accurately transition to multiple targets.
Everything requires training, including having a WML. It's definitely not smart to have your light constantly on when searching through the house (even though CAG does it during HR). Move and take "snapshots" with your light as you're clearing, once your light comes on (snapshot, taking a mental note), the light comes off and you move off line or displace, because you just gave away your position. It takes a lot of training.
He worked in areas where his 911 is air support hovering above him and 20+ meat eaters around him. Not you! You're alone, and you're the one that'll need to call for help.

I think he’s discounting the blinding effect a light has on an attacker. Try shooting at someone when you have 500-1000 lumens torching your retinas. 5 seconds of blindness my ass. Cops use lights successfully every day and it allows them to get the jump on situations.

Be prepared… carry both. I don't want to ID my kid in the middle of the night with the light on my firearm. Yet, I don't want to not be able to ID what I am aiming at if that need arises! Better to have and not need than need and not have. You cannot depend on ambient light, blackouts happen. And bad things happen in the darkness.

Holding a light slightly to the left of your body still gives away your position…

No light on your daily carry weapon makes you less prepared.

The old school FBI light hold is just dumb these days. Now do I think you need a WML yes and no. In my house I know where the light switches are. Out in public, I never really walk down a totally dark alley ect.

I carry a WML AND a stand alone light. There are situations where either is the appropriate tool to have. I am an armed city contractor and work outside at night so a WML on my duty weapon is a must for me. But I also have a light on my duty belt.

Any tool if properly trained on and used properly can be a great asset. Those same tools if improperly used without properly training in their appropriate use can be a disaster or worse fatal. Thats just the 2 cents from some random guy on the internet though.

This topic would be a good videos series

Remember that scene in Billy Madison where the guys tells everyone they are now dumber for having listened to the speech just given? Other than the comment of carry both and handheld and a WML, everyone is now dumber having listened to this fudd lore laden diatribe. All the light is what you want, all of it. As many lumens and more importantly candela as you can push, is what you want. We are trying to replicate the sun.

As an instructor the most common problem I see with WMLs is people simply forgetting to use them. I have a little compilation video I show my students before we do the course showing how often police officers forget about that paper weight they have on their pistol when they are actively involved in a night time shooting. The bottom line is, if its not part of your daily drills you are probably going to forget its even there unless you are in pitch black but even then so many incidents of cops searching an area with their handheld lights and engaging threats one handed because their WML is only accessible via their support hand for the switch or they just completely forget.

You can look it up. A lot of night time shooting incidents with the police and you see those fancy surefire rigs that are off.

If you are going to put it on, its something you need to practice and condition yourself too. Otherwise, you are not going to remember to turn it on, I guarantee it.

People will undoubtedly say "when I searched my house when I heard a bump in the night I turned it on"…. Yeah you turned it on because you were calm in knowing that was a picture frame that fell because the stick back strap came lose … Your adrenaline was not that high… You were just playing Tactical Tim in your house that night.

Give me alight 10 out if 10 times

I took your advice and bought a handheld flashlight. The Energizer tack 300 for like $14.